Haggis, De Palma to help young filmmakers at Toronto film fest

High-profile Canadian directors Paul Haggis and Mary Harron, as well as Brian De Palma and Phillip Noyce, will participate in this year's Toronto International Film Festival Talent Lab.

Haggis won Oscars for Crash, which he directed, and Million Dollar Baby, which he wrote, while Harron recently helmed The Notorious Bettie Page.De Palma is the director of Mission:Impossible and Scarface while Australian Noyce recently directed The Quiet American and Rabbit Proof Fence.

"This will be a wonderful experience for these talented filmmakers who will have the opportunity to build their networks in a creative environment, and learn from some of the most esteemed filmmakers and artists the world has to offer," Kelley Alexander, director of industry initiatives for the festival, said in a statement Thursday.

The four distinguished directors will help and advise22 budding Canadian writers, directors and producers at the Talent Lab. The artistic development program takes place over a four-day period during the festival, which runs from Sept. 7 to 16.

Organizers also announced a new slate of films for the festival's Discovery program, highlighting new filmmakers.

Among the 13 films having world premieres are:

• Takva A Man's Fear of God, a German-Turkish co-production exploring the inner workings of an Islamic sect. Directed by Ozer Kiziltan.
• Out of the Blue, based on a true story in New Zealand in which 13 people were murdered.The film recounts the event from the perspective of the residents of a small seaside town. Directed by Robert Sarkies.
• The Art of Crying from Denmark tracks an 11-year-old boy growing up with a psychotic father. According to the release, the boy "begins to commit appalling acts, blithely unaware of just how atrocious they are."Directed by Peter Schonau Fog.
• London to Brighton follows a prostitute and a young runaway as they attempt to flee gangsters and pimps after being accused of murdering a crime boss. Directed by Paul Andrew Williams.
• King and the Clown from South Korea was a box-office sensation in its home country. This period comedy features an "awkward love affair between the king, his concubine and a pair of court clowns." It's estimated a quarter of the South Korean populationsaw the movie. Directed by Joon-ik Lee.
• As The Shadow from Italian director Marina Spada portrays how a woman's life is turned upside down when she meets a Ukrainian man and his cousin while taking Russian lessons. When the cousin goes missing, the woman must face the dark truth about the Ukrainian man.